Disposable syringe with elastically expansible bag



March 10, 1970 4 K. KOUTSANDREAS 3,499,444

DISPOSABLE SYRINGE WITH ELASTICALLY EXPANSIBLE BAG Filed Feb. 28, 1968 CITE INVENTOR KATHERINE KOUTSANDREAS BY 5729000 and \s/ta az ro ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,499,444 DISPOSABLE SYRINGE WITH ELASTICALLY EXPANSIBLE BAG Katherine Koutsandreas, 2895 W. Ritchie Parkway, Rockville, Md. 20850 Filed Feb. 28, 1968, Ser. No. 708,977 Int. Cl. A61m 3/00, 7/00 US. Cl. 128-232 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Background of the invention This invention relates to syringes used for feminine hygiene or enemas and is more particularly concerned with disposable syringes or douches.

It has heretofore been proposed to provide a disposable or single-use douche syringe comprising a bag, a nozzle, and couplings, fittings, or hoses for connecting the nozzle to the bag. It has also been proposed to employ a douche bag which may be elastically inflated by the water which fills it. H wever, prior disposable syringes have suffered from undue complexity in construction and use and have therefore not met with favor commercially. For practicality it is essential that a disposed douche syringe be exceptionally simple and inexpensive to manufacture and use.

It is accordingly a principal object of the present invention to provide an improved, exceptionally simple, disposable syringe which may be used for douches, enemas or the like.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the foregoing type consisting of only three inexpensive, easily manufactured and assembled parts.

A further Object of the invention is to provide a device of the foregoing type in which the bag may be readily filled by the user from various types of faucets and in which an adequate seal about the faucet is provided to ensure that the water pressure within the bag is sufficient to inflate the bag to the desired extent.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a device of the foregoing type employing disposable bags in the form of balloons or balloon-like members which are pre-assembled with sleeves prior to sale.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a device of the foregoing type which does not require comlex or expensive valves but may incorporate a simple valve structure.

Briefly state, the present invention is concerned with a syringe having an elastically expansible balloon-like bag, the neck of which receives and is expanded by a rigid sleeve inserted into the neck well beyond the mouth of the bag, so as to provide a free neck portion which may be expanded over a faucet and sealed therewith for easy filling of the bag well beyond its unexpanded capacity. The free neck portion is rolled back upon itself to expose the sleeve for engagement with a nozzle. Undesired emissi0n of the contents from the bag is prevented by a simple valve structure or by manipulation of the bag.

Brief description of the drawing The foregoing and other objects, advantages, and features of the invention and the manner in which the same ice are accomplished will become more readily apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a preferred and exemplary embodiment, and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is an elevation view illustrating the filling of a syringe bag in accordance with the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary elevation view illustrating the appearance of the neck of the bag of the invention when not engaged with a faucet;

FIGURE 3 is an elevation view illustrating the filled bag assembled with a nozzle;

FIGURE 4 is a longitudinal sectional view illustrating the engagement of a sleeve and a nozzle and the provision of cooperating valve elements in accordance with the invention; and

FIGURE 5 is a transverse sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIGURE 4.

Detailed description of the invention Referring to the drawings, and initially to FIGURE 1 therefore, the syringe of the invention comprises an elastically expansible bag 10 constituted by a balloon or balloon-like member, such as a rubber balloon commonly sold as a toy or novelty. The material of the bag should be strong enough to permit elastic expansion of the bag by household water pressure and to contain about a pint or two of liquid. It is'preferably prestretched to permit easy elastic expansion. The neck 12 of the bag (formed integrally of the same expansible balloon material) terminates in a mouth 14, preferably with an annular lip.

A rigid sleeve 16, which may be formed of plastic or strong fiber material, for example, is preferably pre-assembled with the bag by being inserted into the neck 12 through and well beyond the mouth 14, as shown in FIG- URE 1, the outer diameter of the sleeve being sufficient to require expansion of the neck for accommodation of the sleeve. External protuberances, such as annular beads or ridges 18, are provided to assist in retention of the sleeve within the neck of the bag. The inner end of the sleeve 16 may be tapered as shown in FIGURE 4 to facilitate insertion of the sleeve within the bag, and the sleeve may be readily inserted merely by expanding the neck of the bag or by rolling the neck of the bag back upon itself and then unrolling it over the sleeve until the free end portion 13 of the neck projects well beyond the corresponding end of the sleeve 16, as indicated in FIG- URE 2. If desired, a ring or band may be tightened about the neck of the bag after insertion of the sleeve, as between adjacent annular protuberances 18, to facilitate retention of the sleeve within the neck, although this refinement is not deemed necessary. The neck of the bag may be about three inches long with a three-quarter inch long free end portion, for example, and the sleeve 16 may have a length of about two inches and an outer diameter about three-quarters of an inch, for example. The bag and sleeve are preferably sold pre-assembled to the user, with the sleeve maintaining the neck of the bag open.

To fill the bag it is merely necessary to place the projecting free end portion of the neck of the bag over the end of a faucet 19, as shown in FIGURE 1, the neck of the bag being elastically expanded to accommodate the faucet and to provide a seal therewith. If desired, the bag and sleeve may be marketed with the free end portion of the neck rolled back onto the leeve, as shown in FIGURE 3, and the sleeve may then be abutted with the faucet pipe and the free end portion of the neck unrolled over the pipe to the condition of FIGURE 1. Household water pressure is sufficient to expand the bag from the uninflated condition (phantom lines in FIGURE 1), to the inflated condition (solid lines in FIGURE 1) in which the bag material is stretched elastically. It has been found,

however, that the bag can not be readily stretched elas tically by household water pressure without the seal of the neck about the faucet pipe.

The neck of the bag below the sleeve 16 may then be pinched between the users fingers and the bag removed from the faucet by rolling back the free end portion upon itself and the sleeve as shown in FIGURE 3. Then a suitable nozzle 20 may be connected to the sleeve. In the preferred form the nozzle is merely a rounded length of plastic or fiber pipe, e.g., four inches long, which has a base portion dimensioned to be received axially within the sleeve 16 with an interference fit, although a threaded joint may be used. For vaginal douches the nozzle may be closed at the end opposite to the base portion and provided with a plurality of perforations 22 along its length. For enemas the nozzle may be stepped down from its base portion to a smaller diameter and provided with a single orifice at the opposite end. Powder or liquid medicaments or cleansing agents may be employed in the conventional manner when desired, being placed in the bag prior to filling.

After the nozzle is inserted into the appropriate orifice of the body, the pinched neck of the bag is released, permitting the contents of the bag to be emitted by the natural contraction of the elastic bag material. During this process the bag may rest upon the hand or a bathroom fixture, for example. After use, the entire syringe may be thrown away, or the nozzle may be removed for future use and merely the bag and sleeve assembly thrown away.

If it is desired to provide a valve as a part of the syringe, the valve may be constituted by mating valve elements of the sleeve 16 and the nozzle 20. For example, as shown in FIGURE 4, the sleeve and the nozzle may have juxtaposed cooperating semicircular plastic valve elements 24 and 26, one of which may be molded integrally with the sleeve and the other with the base portion of the nozzle, for example. The nozzle may be turned to the position of FIGURE 4 so that the arcuate valve elements shut the passage comprising the sleeve and the nozzle (the valve elements preferably extending more than half-way across the passage to provide mating seat parts) or the nozzle may be turned 180 degrees about its axis so a to provide a port for the flow of fluid.

The invention thus provides a disposable syringe that is exceptionally simple to manufacture and use. The only assembly step required of the user is the addition of the nozzle. Easy filling of the bag is ensured by the open free end portion of the neck of the bag, which readily seals with the faucet without special filling couplings or attachments. A valve is provided without separate pieces.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes can be made in this embodiment without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention.

The invention claimed is:

1. A disposable syringe comprising an elastically expansible bag having an integral neck and mouth, a rigid sleeve fixed within and expanding said neck, said neck having an open contracted free end portion arranged to project axially beyond the corresponding end of said sleeve to receive and expandably seal about a faucet for filling and elastically expanding said bag, and a nozzle having a base portion detachably joined to said sleeve.

2. The syringe of claim 1, said sleeve having external protuberances for retaining the sleeve Within said neck.

3. The syringe of claim 1, the base of said nozzle being dimensioned for an interference fit within said sleeve.

4. The syringe of claim 1, said sleeve and said nozzle having cooperating valve elements for controlling the flow of fluid from said bag through said nozzle.

5. The syringe of claim 4, said valve elements comprising a pair of juxtaposed arcuate members integral within said sleeve and said nozzle, respectively.

6. The syringe of claim 1, said free end portion of said neck being adapted to be rolled back upon itself and said sleeve after said bag is filled from said faucet in order to permit ready access of said base portion of said nozzle to said sleeve.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 342,131 5/1886 Perkins et al 128224 2,552,469 5/1951 Wahlbeck 128-232 2,596,083 5/ 1952 Wahlbeck 1'28231 2,722,933 11/1955 Allen l28231 2,739,592 3/1956 Wiles et al. 128-232 3,057,352 10/1962 McKenna 128- 248 3,228,396 1/1966 Potts et al 128-232 RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner R. L. FRINKS, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

